Figile River

Figile River
Native name Abhainn Fhiodh Gaibhle
Origin Cushaling, County Offaly
Mouth Celtic Sea at Waterford Harbour via River Barrow
Basin countries Ireland
Length 33.4 km (21 mi)
Source elevation 70 m (229 ft)
Avg. discharge 0.350 m3/s
Basin area 639  km2
Left tributaries Black River, River Cushaling, Slate River
Right tributaries Crabtree River

The Figile River (/fɪˈɡl/; Irish: Abhainn Fhiodh Gaibhle) is a river in eastern Ireland.

Name

The earliest recorded name is Fidgable/Fid nGabli, meaning "Gabul's Wood", recorded in the Book of Leinster and the Metrical Dindshenchas, both c. 1160. It is also mentioned in Buile Shuibhne ("Suibhne's Frenzy", 12th century) as Fiodh Gaibhle, a site of refuge for the maddened Suibhne where he lived for a year, eating holly berries and acorns and drinking from uisci na Gabhla ("Gabul's waters").[1] The Anglicisation Fegowly first appears in the 17th century, becoming Feagile on Alex Taylor's 1783 map and Figile on the 1843 Ordnance Survey map.[2]

Course

The Figile River begins at the union of the Crabtree and Cushaling rivers, near the County Kildare-County Offaly border. It meets the Black River tributary and continues northwest, crossing and recrossing the bog railway. It crosses under the R401 at the Cloncreen Bridge, a triple-arch masonry bridge, built c. 1790.[3] The Figile continues south, meeting the Philipstown River outside Clonbulloge. It is bridged by the R442 at Saint Patrick's Bridge[4] and flows on southwards, passing under the R442 again near Millgrove House. The Figile passes under the R419 west of Bracknagh and flows on southeast, entering County Kildare at Pollagorteen. It continues southward through Clogheen and forms part of the County Laois-County Kildare border, draining into the River Barrow at Passlands, just north of Monasterevin.

Wildlife

The Figile is known as a brown trout, common bream, common rudd, common roach and northern pike fishery.[5][6][7]

See also

References

Coordinates: 53°09′N 7°05′W / 53.150°N 7.083°W